


When The Cat's Away ...

by DanjaBlue



Category: Star Trek: Picard
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Military Jargon, Military Science Fiction, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26399320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DanjaBlue/pseuds/DanjaBlue
Summary: La Sirena is tasked with investigating strange events at a research facility.  R&R
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In memory of Jan-Michael Vincent (1944-2019)

_Jean-Luc Picard, Personal Log_

_La Sirena has been tasked by Admiral Janeway to provide close air support to a detachment of Starfleet Marines on Planet Aran Three._

_Starfleet has lost contact with a research facility on the Planet. The Marines are tasked with investigating what happened to the staff._

* * *

_ARAN THREE_

“We're going to be working with Modd Squad,” said Rios. Jean-Luc stood next to Rios's Captain's chair.

“ 'Modd Squad'?” Raffi asked. “I've never heard of that unit.”

“M-D-D … Marine Detachment Delta … otherwise known to Starfleet as 'Modd Squad',” Rios explained. “Elite Special Warfare Unit.”

Rios then added, “I know their commander. We went to the Academy together. I went to Starfleet and he went to the Marines.”

“Funny Janeway should pick you, given the … _stuff_ you've done,” said Raffi.

“I'm not complaining,” said Rios. “Who knows? Maybe there's a God of second chances after all.

“We're supposed to rendezvous on the north side,” said Rios. He then got out of his chair and said, “I'm gonna go out and meet Paul.”

“ _Paul?”_ Raffi exclaimed.

“Their Commander … Paul Grayson,” said Rios as he walked towards the arsenal. “ _Major_ Grayson.”

“Good luck,” said Raffi.


	2. Chapter 2

“Don't your holograms need you?” Major Grayson asked with a smirk. He was tall with blue eyes, close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair, and a square jaw. He and the ten other Marines with him were wielding phaser rifles and dressed in helmets and full gray and black tactical gear.

“I've got an actual crew now,” said Rios as he walked alongside Major Grayson, wielding a phaser rifle of his own. Rios, Grayson, and the other Starfleet Marines were walking down a darkened hallway.

“A living, breathing crew?” Major Grayson exclaimed in disbelief.

“Yes.”

“For years, they called you 'Mr. Hologram'. Wouldn't work with people.”

“Just needed the right crew,” said Rios. “People I can _trust_.”

“You still doing black ops?” Grayson asked. “I remember you doing some serious shit down around Deep Space Two.”

“It's been a while,” said Rios.

“Hey, remember that party on Zeta Four? You, me, Skip, those two hookers, and that cow?” Grayson asked.

“Ancient history,” said Rios, shaking his head. “I was drunk most of the night.”

“Some party!” Grayson exclaimed.

_Black ops,_ Rios thought. _More like_ BLACKOUT _ops_. _I was drunk most of the time._

“Bravo Two to Shark Six,” said one of the Marines over the comm.

“Shark Six, over,” Grayson replied.

“There's some slimy substance all over the hallway,” Bravo Two replied.

“Roger that,” Grayson replied. He then added over the comm, “All units, be advised. Possible hazmat.”

All at once, a hiss and an inhuman scream echoed through the hallway.

“The hell is _THAT?_ ” Grayson wondered aloud.

A looming alien insectoid black mass with yellow eyes and razor-sharp with teeth suddenly filled the hallway.

“ _OPEN FIRE!_ ” Grayson commanded. The air rang out with phaser fire from Grayson, the Marines, and Rios.


	3. Chapter 3

“Rios to Sirena, come in!” Rios screamed as he tapped his comm badge.

“Sirena, here. Over,” Raffi replied over the comm.

“Requesting beam-out, _NOW!_ ”

* * *

Raffi tapped a few buttons on the ops panel. A map of the complex appeared before her.

“”What _IS_ that?” Raffi wondered aloud.

“Onscreen,” said Seven.

Raffi tapped another button. The map of the complex filled the viewscreen. Rios and the Marines were represented by a group of blue dots near the center of the complex. They were being chased onscreen by a massive red dot.

“I can't do a beam-out. It's too dangerous,” said Raffi. “I can't get a lock on them.”

Seven jumped out of her seat at tactical and ran towards the pilot's chair. She tapped a button on the armrest and called up a holographic display panel.

“What are you doing?” Raffi asked as Seven pressed some holographc buttons.

“Gonna blow the eastern door,” Seven replied as _La Sirena_ 's engines roared to life. She then sat down in the pilot's chair, tapped her comm badge, and asked, “Jean-Luc, would you come to the bridge, please? I need you at tactical.”

“On my way,” Jean-Luc replied over the comm.

Seven pulled back on the holographic throttle as _La_ _Sirena_ rose into the air.

“Where are we going?” Raffi asked.

“There's a door on the east side. It's closest to Rios's position,” Seven replied as Sirena flew over the complex and into position on the eastern side. “Gonna blow the door.”

“Can't do a beam-out. It's too dangerous,” said Raffi over the comm to Rios.

“ _WHAT?”_ Rios screamed.

“There's a door on the eastern side of the complex. We're going to blow it out. You can escape through there,” said Raffi over the comm.

* * *

“They can't do a beam-out,” said Rios to Grayson as phaser fire rang out around them. “It's too dangerous.”

“ _WHAT?”_ Grayson screamed.

“There's a door on the eastern side of the complex. They're going to blow it out,” Rios shouted.

“ _HOW?”_ Grayson shouted.

“Beats me,” Rios repled.

Grayson touched his comm badge and commanded, “All units extract, all units extract. Get out! Get out! Get out!”

* * *

_La Sirena_ hovered near the ground about fifty yards from the eastern door.

* * *

“What do you want me to do?” Jean-Luc asked as he settled into his seat at tactical.

“Activate port photon cannon, cut power to port photon cannon to fifty percent,” Seven commanded as the military officer took over. “I want to blow the door without blowing up the lab.”

_He's Starfleet. I trust he knows his way around a weapons panel,_ Seven thought as she regarded Picard.

Picard touched some buttons on the console. “Port photon cannon activated, power level fifty percent,” he said.

Seven pressed a holographic button and called up a targeting holo-screen. She centered the door in the crosshairs on the screen.

“Stand by. On my mark, fire port photon cannon,” Seven commanded.

The door in question was a heavy steel security door that was four inches thick. It was designed more to keep whatever was in the facility from getting _out_ than it was to keep intruders from getting IN (the facility normally had several layers of security guarding the perimeter outside).

Door squarely centered in the crosshairs, Seven commanded, _“FIRE!”_

Picard pressed a button on the console and fired the port photon cannon. Nothing.

“Not enough,” said Seven. “Increase power to port photon cannon to seventy-five percent.”

Picard made the adjustments on the port photon cannon. “Port photon cannon power level at seventy-five percent,” he said.

“ _FIRE!”_ Seven commanded again.

Picard fired the port photon cannon. This time, the door buckled slightly while remaining on its hinges.

“Helluva door,” said Raffi.

“It's doing what it was designed to do … securing what's behind it,” said Seven.

* * *

“What's that boom?” Grayson asked. He, Rios, and the Marines were making a mad dash towards the eastern entrance with the alien closely on their heels.

“I hope to God that's Sirena,” said Rios.

* * *

“Increase power to port photon cannon to eighty-five percent.” Seven commanded.

Picard adjusted the power level. “Port photon cannon power level eighty-five percent,” he said.

“Fire,” Seven commanded.

Picard fired the port photon cannon. This time, the door was blown off its hinges.

“Door is down. Door is down," said Seven. “Eastern entrance is clear.”

“Door is down. Door is down,” said Raffi over the comm to Rios. “You're cleared to evacuate through the east entrance.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Here come the Marines,” said Raffi as one Marine after another began trickling out of the building, with Rios and Major Grayson bringing up the rear.

Rios took note of _La Sirena_ hovering just above the ground some distance away. _Who's flying Sirena?_ he wondered as he staggered out of the building.

_Can't be Picard. The guy hasn't flown a ship in fifteen years. The last time he flew Sirena, she barely made it out in one piece!_

_Shoot out a damn_ DOOR? _Takes one fuck of a pilot to pull_ THAT _off._

It was then that realization struck Rios. _Oh, my God._

_There's only two other people on Sirena who can fly a ship,_ Rios thought.

_Picard … and Seven of Nine._

“Heads up, Chris. You've got bad guys on your tail,” said Raffi over the comm, snapping Rios out of his reverie.

“ _FUCK!”_ Rios ejaculated as he scrambled towards Sirena, Grayson, and the Marines.

* * *

“Stand by. Full power, all weapons,” said Seven.

Picard called up a tactical crosshairs screen. _I don't know why I didn't think to do this before,_ he thought. _Maybe I was too focused on getting Captain Rios out of that facility._

* * *

A massive alien suddenly emerged from the doorway. It was hunchbacked and it stood eight feet tall. Its skin was pitch balck. It had lanky, angular arms.

“Open fire!” Major Grayson commanded the Marines. Grayson, the Marines, and Rios all fired upon the alien.

* * *

“Eyes on target,” said Picard as the alien appeared in his crosshairs.

“Fire at will,” said Seven. “Let's take out that bug.”

Picard fired Sirean's port phaser at the alien.

“Such a waste,” said Picard. “We could be looking at new life here.”

“Doctor Jurati can dissect the corpse later,” Seven retorted. She then added, “A organism is either benign or a hazard.

“You're a former Starfleet Admiral. You of all people should know that.”

“True,” said Picard. The alien's knees buckled under the onslaught of phaser fire. The alien finally exploded under the barrage of fire.

“Another one coming out,” said Raffi.

Another alien emerged from the building, a smaller version of the one that had come before it. This alien stood about six feet in height.

“Smaller … I'm thinking it might be a female,” said Seven as she trained Sirena's sights on the new alien.

“Or a juvenile,” said Picard.

“Male and female,” said Raffi. “You know what _I'M_ thinking?”

“Mating pair,” Seven replied. “Possible eggs in the building.”

“Exactly.”

After having dispatched the male alien, Sirena, Rios, and the Marines trained their phasers on the female alien.

After a few more volleys of phaser fire, the female alien was shot dead and dispatched in the same manner as her male companion.

“Anything else coming out?” Seven asked Raffi.

“Nothing on sensors,” Raffi replied. “Looks like we got `em.”

Seven pressed a few holographic buttons and brought Sirena down for a landing.

* * *

“Thank you everyone. Great job!” said Rios to the crew, with Major Grayson bringing up the rear. The two were back on board _La Sirena_.

Rios feigned the appearance that all of this had been planned ahead of time. “Mission accomplished!” he announced.

“Here you go,” said Seven as she climbed out of the pilot's seat.

“Thank you,” said Rios as took his place in the pilot's seat once more.

“Nice work,” said Seven to Picard.

“Thanks,” Picard replied.

"What happens now?" Rios asked Major Grayson.

"We're tasked with securing the facility," Grayson replied. "We're gonna take these aliens back to Stafleet Intelligence, have _THEM_ have a look at them."

"We could be dealing with a breeding pair," said Seven. "There could be eggs in the building."

"I'll have Starfleet send over a ship, level the place with some photon torpedoes," Grayson replied. After a pause, he exclaimed excitedly, "Jean-Luc Picard? _ADMIRAL_ Jean-Luc Picard?”

“I haven't been 'Admiral Picard' in fifteen years,” Picard replied sheepishly.

“It's such an honor to meet you!” Grayson gushed. “I studied all about you in history class at school!”

Picard blushed. “The pleasure is all mine,” he said.

THE END


End file.
